Hamilton Ricoh

The Hamilton Ricoh Watch Company, Ltd. was a joint venture (60% owned by Hamilton) and only existed between 1962 and 1964. Electric parts were made in Lancaster, PA while the mechanicals parts were made in Japan, the watches also being assembled in Japan. The movements are marked “Ricoh 555E”, but are the same as the Standard Time Corp. 130E (fitted in Hamilton’s Vantage range), which in turn is very similar to the Hamilton 505.

Although the factory was turning out 1000 / month, very few were sold. Marketing was handled by Ricoh but they failed to break the stranglehold and monopoly that Seiko had in the Japanese stores; in the end, most were sold on US military bases in Japan.

The partnership was dissolved in 1965; some of the Hamilton Ricoh movements were re-cased as Vantage and sold in the US.

First, a stainless steel example:

Hamilton Ricoh Electric; All Stainless Steel; Ricoh 555E; 1973

Hamilton Ricoh Electric; All Stainless Steel; Ricoh 555E; 1973

Hamilton Ricoh Electric; All Stainless Steel; Ricoh 555E; 1973

Hamilton Ricoh Electric; All Stainless Steel; Ricoh 555E; 1973

Next, another stainless steel example with particulary nice hour batons. Sadly, there was some corrosion on the dial of this example, so the dial needed re-finishing and it hasn’t come back quite the same as the original:

Hamilton Ricoh Electric; All Stainless Steel; Ricoh 555E; 1973

Hamilton Ricoh Electric; All Stainless Steel; Ricoh 555E; 1973

Hamilton Ricoh Electric; All Stainless Steel; Ricoh 555E; 1973

Hamilton Ricoh Electric; All Stainless Steel; Ricoh 555E; 1973

Hamilton Ricoh Electric; All Stainless Steel; Ricoh 555E; 1973

Dial Before Refinishing

Dial Before Refinishing

Next, a very sad gold cased example…sad because the case is in a shocking state: